Rickard the Black
History of Rickard the Black Early Life Rickard Antonius Verosius was born as the son of Duke Edward I of Summerfeld and Lady Alisha of Salis. Rickard had two older brothers, Edmund and Philip. Rickard was 16 years younger than his oldest brother Edmund. When Rickard was 8 years old he was sent to the Royal Court to be schooled there with the other noble children. There he befriended Prince Alexander, youngest son of Crown Prince Richard and Arthur of Exeter. This friendship became strained in 1640 when High King Edward I died. Rickard returned at the end of that day with a bastard son, Brandon Summerfeld. Alexander and Arthur both became prominent people at the Royal Court, while Rickard was appointed as a member of the Royal Guard. In 1641 the High King and most of his close relatives were murdered. Rickard had left the city that day and came back when most of the slaying had been done. Employed by Alexander IX The brother of Richard II was then appointed as the new High King, Alexander IX. Rickard's oldest brother Edmund was appointed as his heir, making Rickard second in line. Rickard was also appointed Lord High Admiral. When Alexander IX was murdered in 1643 by Edmund, Rickard fled the country with a fleet of ships and became a pirate. Rickard the Black For three years Rickard captured ships and stole. He traded with the Moghul Empire, which controlled most of the Southern Ocean. However in 1646 Rickard decided to start taking ships from the Moghul Empire. The Lord of the Ufirian Islands, Saladin, brother of the Emperor, was then charged with killing Rickard. They fought several maritime battles and was able to free several islands from Saladin's rule. He proclaimed himself the Lord of the Free Islands. He let the ruling of the islands be done by local politicians, while he was in charge of the protection. In 1647 Rickard met Publius Bambonius Publicola, the grandson of the blasphemer and traitor Duke Publius VI of Arpinum. Publius was an orphan and spent most of his youth on Capri with his great-uncle the Duke of Capri. Publius possessed several ships, which he gave to Rickard. Publius quickly rose to become Rickard's second-in-command. However in 1649 Publius decided to take half of Rickard's fleet and use it to conquer the disorganised lands of Northern Anglaria. He did and took Carn where he killed many nobles including High King Edmund III. Publius declared himself King of Carn, but he was betrayed by several of his officers who became roaming bandits. He lived for several months in a burning city, trying to rule it but he failed and was killed. Funeral of Dowager Duchess Isabella of Mirag In 1653 Isabella of Salis, Dowager Duchess of Mirag died. She was Rickard's aunt and was the family member Rickard was closest to in his childhood.Therefore Rickard set sail to Mirag to attent the funeral. There he met his cousins Baltin and Demarcus of Mirag, Queen Eleanor of Istit, King Henry I of Istit, his uncle Bishop Charles Summerfeld and his niece Alisha of Summerfeld. They tried to evict Rickard, but he refused to leave. Bishop Summerfeld vouched for him, allowing him to stay. There Rickard decided to reclaim all the lands that he should have inherited. He was told by Duke Richard of Exeter that his cousin Duchess Eleanor of Carn had left him the Duchy and he was told that he was the rightful ruler of Summerfeld and York. He was also the head of the House of Ufir, the rulers of the dissolved Kingdom of Ufir. He claimed all titles. Conquest of the Inheritence Rickard moved his fleet from Istit and sailed to Ufir. He raised the city and claimed it a liberated land and one of the Free Islands. He then sailed onward to Efir. He burned the city to the ground and marched onward to Carn. His fleet was then destroyed by King Edmund of Afir. Carn had been taken weeks ago by the Portian Lord Pleisthenes. He had claimed the throne but had been assassinated days later. Now his son Alecthor was King of Carn. He was a cousin of Publius and since two days his son-in-law. Rickard forged an alliance with two bandit groups lead by Jacob Fisher and Menelaus of Tarza. The three leaders started a seige on Carn. Carn was still weak from the many battle it had in the last four years and was therefore easily breached. Alecthor was captured and surrendered to Rickard. Alecthor then crowned Rickard King of Carn. Ruler of the Free Lands Rickard then did the unexpected and declared the crowns of Carn, Ufir and York void and made the part of the Free Lands, of which he was the Overlord. He appointed Menelaus as Lord of the Portlands, which consisted of the lands of Efir. Jacob Fisher was appointed as Lord of Carn. Brandon Summerfeld was also engaged to Menelaus' daughter. Rickard had an affair with the wife of the late Publius and in 1654 she gave birth to a son Nigerius Summerfeld. In 1654 Alecthor betrayed Rickard and tried to start a rebellion in Carn, but he was easily killed by the Carnish Guard. Rickard then married Alecthor's wife and the daughter of Azula and Publius, Julia Bambonia. In 1655 Azariah Bambonius Publicola, Julia's brother tried to assassinate Rickard but he was killed on the spot. Jacob Fisher was executed two months later. His wife Brenna was then married to Neleus of Arimia, son of King Arrhidaeus. In 1656 Rickard started preparing his revenge on Afir. He build a new fleet and sent it to Afir. They raided the city and killed the King and his family. In 1657 Azula gave birth a third bastard child. However the birth severely damaged her body. Rickard then had Azula captured and tortured for a year and had her killed in 1658 for "Sleeping with an enemy of freedom". Julia then refused to continue sleeping with Rickard. He then started raping her daily. She got pregnant, but was then killed by Rickard when he tried to rape her. Rickard then had her daughter Azula starve to death and burned Alecthor's mother Leitia alive. He justified his actions by saying that Alecthor and Publius and their entire spawn were unworthy of life. When Leitia's uncle Meriones heard of this he rallied troops. In the city the followers of Alecthor also started revolting. Meriones led a small private army together with his son Amphiarus against Carn. They fought a battle there, but were defeated. Amphiarus was killed in battle and Meriones was captured. He had Meriones tortured for days and then hanged. King Crannon In 1661 Rickard's son Crannon was inherited the throne of Pella. He married Princess Munna of Frisia and forged an alliance with Frisia. In 1662 this turned into a full military alliance between Pella, Xenos, Charax and Frisia. Crannon decided that Rickard was a danger to the safety of the north. For three years he spread propaganda through most major cities. In these documents he calls the remnant of the High Kings. In 1666 the alliance invaded the Free Lands. Rickard met them with a strong army. They fought a huge battle in which Nestor of Xenos and King Agathocles died. Agathocles was immediately declared Champion against Tyranny. Rickard was defeated in battle. The sister of Lysimachus, the new King of Charax, ordered a group of soldiers to kill all of Rickard's children in the city. They killed his children by Julia and Azula. Brandon was safe with Menelaus and the remainder of the army. Rickard was captured two days later. In Captivity When Rickard was told that his children had been murdered he just started laughing. It was never his intention for those children to exsist. Shortly afterwards the sister of Lysimachus, Maya, was also arrested, for the murder of the children. All soldiers that participated in the massacre were executed. Brandon and Menelaus made peace with the alliance. However Rickard would remain their prisoner. Rickard and Maya became cellmates in 1669. In a very twisted way they fell in love. In 1671, while still imprisoned, Maya gave birth to a daughter, Cornelia. The daughter was removed from the cell. Death In 1673 Lysimachus and Crannon decided to execute Maya and Rickard. Legacy Fall of the Free Lands Rickard was known as a good and just ruler by his Carnish subjects and is still considered a liberator and a hero in most of the Ufirian Islands. When he was captured Brandon Summerfeld tried to get the pirate fleet united under his banner, however multiple other captains revolted and started a civil war of pirates. Lord Saladin of the Ufirians Islands then swooped in and killed all remaining pirates. He was re-instated as Lord of all the Ufirian Islands. Brandon and Menelaus then got into a fight about whom should rule as Overlord. This also turned into a civil war, which Menelaus won in 1668. Brandon then fled to the Portlands with the remaining fleet to Afir. He was crowned King of Afir there. Menelaus then crowned himself King of Carn. In 1670 Menelaus declared Pleisthenes, Alecthor and Publius as martyrs. This was not liked by the people, who dispised those rulers. They revolted and Menelaus was killed. The visiting Prince Neleus of Arimia and his family also died in the conflict. Category:Pirates Category:Nobles Category:Lord High Admiral Category:Kings of Ufir Category:Dukes of York Category:Dukes of Carn Category:Dukes of Summerfeld Category:Kings of Carn Category:Lords of the Free Islands Category:Lords of the Free Lands Category:Overlord of the Free Lands